1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer programming and, in particular, to computer software usable on a web client computer for tracking and reconciling costs of accessing and printing information from a web network computer.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer services on the web (Internet) often charge a fee for units of connect time, such as logging on to web network computers, or for printing propriety pages. These fees are tracked by the network service providers, who then periodically send bills to the user for the time or printing fees expended on the web client computer. When the web client computer uses multiple network services, there is also a need to collect records of these charges from all of the network providers and to maintain a running total of the charges.
It would be useful to have the web client computer keep track of the time and costs independent of the tracking done by the providers of services. There is presently nowhere available the means to have a periodic accumulation of surcharges for web related services that can be printed, viewed and automatically stored in a file to show past and present billings. Since there may be errors or discrepancies in the providers' bills, there is a need to reconcile the charges from each provider of service, and then send the electronic payment after reconciliation.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a web client computer and software which can keep track of the time and costs of accessing computer services on the web or a network independent of the tracking done by the providers of services.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a computer and computer program which collects these charges from all of the providers and maintains a running total of the charges at the web client computer.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a computer and computer program which periodically accumulates surcharges for web related services that can be printed, viewed and automatically stored in a file to show past and present billings.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a computer and computer program which reconciles the charges from each provider of service, and then automatically send the electronic payment after reconciliation.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.